Samsung Galaxy Note II to land 'by mid-November' on all major US carriers

We'd say the wait is nearly over, but that wouldn't be telling the whole truth. Inching ever closer to a hard launch date, Samsung'sGalaxy Note II is now poised to hit stateside on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular "by mid-November." If you're seeking anything more specific than that, you'll have to hold out for individual carrier announcements. What we do know for sure, however, is that the US variant of this 5.5-incher will be packing HSPA+42 / LTE radios and sporting a nigh unchanged build -- much like the company's other flagship, the GS III. To recap, this S-Pen equipped phablet, recently unveiled at IFA 2012, features a 1280 x 720 HD Super AMOLED display, quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor, 2GB RAM and ships with a skinned version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Sure, this release is shaping up to be a slow tease, but that anticipation just makes the final bow of this second act even sweeter. Official PR after the break.

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Samsung Mobile Introducing Galaxy Note® II in Time for the Holidays with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular

DALLAS - September 19, 2012 - Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile) – the No.1 mobile phone provider in the United States1 – will launch the Galaxy Note® II in the U.S. with five major carriers by mid-November. Exact pricing and retail availability will be announced by each of the carriers.

Optimized for the fastest 4G LTE* and HSPA+ 42 networks, the Galaxy Note II combines some of the best capabilities of the Galaxy S® III with an enhanced S Pen and new S Pen apps, the processing power to multitask like a PC, with a larger screen yet in a thinner, lighter form factor. The Galaxy Note II enables consumers that want a larger format device to create, collaborate and now share original content faster and easier than before.

"The original Galaxy Note® created a new category of smartphones by combining the best of a smartphone with the best of a tablet. In less than a year, Samsung sold more than 10 million globally demonstrating the category is taking hold," said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America. "The new Galaxy Note II is a significant leap forward for the category."

The Galaxy Note II is the first Samsung smartphone to launch with Android™ 4.1 Jelly Bean, which brings stunning graphical capabilities and an upgraded Google Now service, including new features such as contextual search. It is also a SAFE-designated device, which means it has additional security features to safe-guard sensitive data and communications.

The Galaxy Note II has a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED™ touchscreen with 16:9 aspect ratio, the standard for true HD video viewing, and comes with a 3,100 mAh battery, which is 24 percent larger than the original Galaxy Note.

Despite the much larger battery, the device weighs slightly less than the original Galaxy Note. As a result of a narrower bezel on all four sides of the screen, the screen is larger but the overall device is narrower. The Galaxy Note II is available in Marble White and Titanium Gray color options.

Create & Collaborate

At the heart of the Galaxy Note II and the ability to create and collaborate is the S Pen™, which has been ergonomically redesigned to provide a more precise and natural writing and drawing experience. The new S Pen can sense 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, four times more than the original S Pen.

When the new S Pen is removed from the Galaxy Note II, it automatically launches the S Pen menu, which opens a new home screen that allows one-touch access to most used S-Pen applications. Keeping track of the S Pen is simple now too because a visual and audible alarm appears if the user forgets to put the S Pen back inside the device.

The S Pen's advanced features provide the ability to capture ideas, inspiration and information instantly, and to combine handwriting with any digital content directly on the screen, such as adding new calendar appointments by writing the event details directly on the day of the week, signing or adding handwritten notes to an email.

Selecting and cropping text, images or other content on the Galaxy Note II with the S Pen is very similar to a traditional "click-mouse" experience. When the S Pen's side button is pressed down, the S Pen recognizes that users want to clip or edit the selected content on the screen. Users can draw precise lines around the content to be cropped out, highlighted or copied into another application.

Key applications of the S Pen include:

Easy Clip feature allows users to instantly outline and crop any content on the screen in any shape to save, share or paste. Once done cropping the image, users can freely edit the cropped content through coloring, shading, or their own personal handwriting. Air View allows users to hover with the S Pen over an email, calendar entry, image gallery or video to preview the content without having to open it or wait for screen transitions. This feature also enables users to preview Web site content without opening the full site. Air View provides a title description for unrecognizable icons in various applications. Quick Command, the S Pen quickly activates applications and services people use most often. The command pad appears with one upward swipe on the screen with the S Pen button pressed down. Users can send an email, make a call or search a location with pre-registered and customized S Pen strokes marks made on the command pad. Idea Sketch - allows users to easily add illustrations by handwriting keywords on the S Note. It provides illustration images that match the handwritten keywords. It's a fancy illustration match function that will allow users to express, organize and visualize ideas in a more innovative and creative way. Users can even customize and add in their own illustrations library. Photo Notes which allows users to create handwritten notes on the back of digital photos.

Multitask & Share

The Galaxy Note II takes multitasking to the next level by enabling consumers to launch multiple windows on one screen, including high definition video. Multitasking features include:

Popup Note lets users open an S Note instantly as a pop-up window to jot down a quick note during a phone call, checking email or watching a video. Popup Video extends the concept of 'Popup Play.' While watching a video, with the touch of a button, the video will become a floating window on the display. The video will continue to play and it can be re-sized or repositioned to any part of the GALAXY Note II's screen. This versatility means that users are free to load other applications beneath it to browse online or work in other apps such as email, calendar or text messaging. Popup Browser launches a new browser window when a user clicks on a link embedded in an email.

The Galaxy Note II contains many of the popular, real-life content sharing features introduced in June on the Samsung Galaxy S™ III including:

S Beam – Tap back of Galaxy Note II against another S-Beam-enabled device to share large video files, documents or S Notes in seconds without using data service. Share Shot - Seamlessly share pictures taken with Galaxy Note II's 8 megapixel camera to other phones from up to 200 feet away. Burst Shot/Best Shot – Capture rapid-fire still pictures with zero shutter lag; choose picture with optimal colors, lighting and clarity from Best Shot image recommendations. AllShare Cast™ and GroupCast™ have been expanded on the Galaxy Note II. Share premium video content, mobile games and movies and TV shows from Samsung Media Hub wirelessly with Samsung Smart TVs, laptops, tablets and other consumer electronics.

· S Pen with Eraser – This ergonomic, full-featured S Pen features a button for gestures and an eraser tip for easy corrections. This updated version of Samsung's original S Pen truly mimics the feel of a pen or pencil.

For more information: Visit us at www.facebook.com/samsungmobileusa

1 Samsung Mobile is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States, based upon reported shipments, according to Strategy Analytics, North America Handset Vendor Marketshare, Q2 2012. Samsung Electronics Company is the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide, based upon reported shipments, according to Strategy Analytics Global Smartphone Vendor Market Share by Region: Q2 2012.

*4G LTE when used in relation to the Galaxy Note II refers to the fact that the device can operate on the relevant carrier's LTE network

Samsung, Galaxy, Note, Exynos, AllShare, S Pen and HD Super AMOLED are all trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.

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Samsung GALAXY Note II Combines the Creativity of a Tablet and Productivity of a Smartphone with Truly Unlimited Data and 4G LTE from Sprint

Available this fall; Sign up to receive the latest details on GALAXY Note II at www.sprint.com/galaxynote2

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Sept. 19, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE:S), the only national carrier with Truly Unlimited℠ 4G LTE data, text and calling to any mobile, is gearing up to offer Samsung GALAXY Note® II. This innovative device will be available on the Sprint 4G LTE network (available in select markets) this fall in two color options – Marble White or Titanium Gray. Pricing and the availability date will be provided later.

Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile) – the No.1 mobile phone provider in the United States1, GALAXY Note II will boast several firsts for Sprint – first to launch with Android™ 4.1, Jelly Bean; first smartphone display larger than 5 inches; and first device to launch with a quad-core processor.

"We are very excited to bring this unique and innovative device into the Sprint lineup with the benefit of Sprint's Truly Unlimited data plans," said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president-Product Development. "Sprint's unlimited data plans are the perfect match for GALAXY Note II because our customers can enjoy the huge screen, fast LTE support and other creative features without worrying about costly overages or sharing data."

Clever and Unique Features GALAXY Note II comes with a new, built-in S Pen™ that is longer, thicker and ergonomically designed for the perfect grip. Its advanced features also provide enhanced capabilities to capture ideas and inspirations instantly and to combine handwriting with any digital content directly on the screen.

Selecting and cropping text, images or other content on GALAXY Note II with the S Pen is very similar to a traditional "click-mouse" experience. When the S Pen's side button is pressed down, users can draw precise lines around the content to be cropped out, highlighted or copied into another application.

With Air View, users can hover the S Pen over an email, image gallery, or video to preview the content without having to open it. This feature also enables users to launch a pop-up web browser or access an enlarged preview of website content without opening the full site.

The Easy Clip feature allows users to instantly outline and crop any content on the screen in any shape to save, share or paste. Once done cropping the image, users can freely edit the cropped content through coloring, shading or their own personal handwriting.

GALAXY Note II features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera with HD video recording. The camera's powerful features include Buddy Photo Share, Burst Shot and Best Photo that were introduced on GALAXY S III earlier in June. Additional features include: Popup Note extends the concept of Popup Play letting users open an S Note instantly as a pop-up window anywhere on the screen. Quick Command, a new gesture pad feature, lets users quickly activate frequently used apps with the S Pen. The command pad appears when a user just swipes upward on the screen with the S Pen button pressed. Users can quickly send an email, make a call or search a location as they draw preregistered marks on the command pad or register a unique mark to allow for quick and easy access. Best Faces camera function allows users to choose the most preferred face or pose of each person from group portrait photos. Users can also personalize photos by leaving handwritten notes on the backside of a photo using the S Pen. Handwritten Photo Notes can be shared with others in jpg format. Screen Recorder allows users to share their experiences with others quickly and easily. S Beam allows users to tap the back of GALAXY Note II against another S-Beam-enabled device to share large video files and documents via NFC and Wi-Fi Direct™ without using data service. Share Shot seamlessly shares pictures taken with GALAXY Note II's 8- megapixel camera to other phones from up to 200 feet away. Idea Sketch allows users to easily add illustrations by handwriting keywords on the S Note. Sprint Professional Grade and Samsung SAFE to help ensure that businesses have the security and control they require to protect the enterprise. Long-lasting 3,100mAh battery. 16GB internal memory (ROM) and 2GB (RAM) microSD™ card slot supporting up to 64GB. International voice and data capable with GSM/UMTS/CDMA networks.

Enjoy Data Without Limits GALAXY Note II requires activation on one of the Sprint Everything Data plans starting at just $79.99 per month (taxes and fees excluded) with Truly Unlimited data, text and calling to any mobile. No throttling, no metering and no overages, all while on the Sprint network. With Sprint's Everything Data and other plans that include Truly Unlimited data, Sprint is continuing its history of data leadership by making it easy for its customers to use data in all the ways that are useful to them, such as news, email, music, TV and GPS navigation, without worrying about data overages on their monthly bill.

Sprint 4G LTE is now available in 19 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco, Texas. Sprint's buildout of its 4G LTE network is under way in more than 100 additional cities within its existing nationwide 3G footprint. Major metropolitan areas in which Sprint 4G LTE is expected to be available in the coming months include Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Indianapolis; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tenn.; Miami; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.

By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the nationwide build out of its all-new 3G and 4G network, a program known as Network Vision. The project also includes significant improvement in customers' 3G network experience, including expanded coverage, improved network reliability, better voice quality, and faster 3G data speeds. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint's 4G LTE rollout, visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.